1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for adjustably interconnecting optical units.
The device of this invention finds application in optoelectronics, optomechanics, optical communications, instrument engineering, medical engineering, laboratory equipment, and all fields of technology using translation of visual signals between optical units (OU""s)
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
SU 1723550A1 discloses a device for connection and adjustment of passive optical units, i.e. optical fibers. Optical fibers are arranged in pairs and fixed to carriers, one of which is movable. The two carriers with the optical units are connected in an optical channel isolated from the environment with guaranteed parallelism of the optical axes of the OU""s through the channel. The OU carriers are oriented until the two OU""s are coaxial. Orientation is carried out by repeated independent, rectilinear, stepwise shifts of the movable carrier in two planes, perpendicular to the axis of the carrier. The movable carrier is tightened and locked to the immovable carrier each shift increasing the locking force. Meanwhile, a running check is carried out with respect to orientation of the carriers and the degree of the optical channel sealing.
A shortcoming of the device is that it allows only parallel and coaxial adjustment of the carriers. Moreover, its operational possibilities and reliability are limited, especially at high temperatures and in harsh environments.
SU 883838 describes a device for OU connection and adjustment, i.e. a reflecting optical element (concave mirror) and an active optical element contained in a sealed optical channel. The reflecting element is fixed to a movable carrier opposite to the optical axis of an immovable carrier, the active optical element being fixed to the latter, while both OU carriers are connected in a sealed optical channel.
The device consists of rigid bodies only, i.e. two OU carriers and a third body which connects the carriers, the three bodies being connected so that they form a sealed optical channel or passage. Auxiliary rigid and resilient mechanical elements connect the bodies, while shifts of the movable carrier are effected by adjusting screws.
A drawback of the device is restricted applicability. The device can be used only for reflecting OU and for spatial and angular OU adjustment, because there is no means of connecting other OU""s perpendicular to the optical axis. Another drawback of the device is its low operational reliability because of complicated construction which makes it not resistant to vibration and shock.
CA 1258786 discloses a device for connection and adjustment of fibers. OU""s are arranged in pairs and fastened to carriers at a distance from each other. At least one of the carriers is movable. The two carriers with the OU""s fastened thereto are connected through a third, intermediate body, so that the three bodies form an optical channel. The bodies forming the optical channel and carrying a pair of OU""s are angularly oriented until they are positioned for optimal transmission of visual signals. The bodies are oriented by means of an iterative series of rectilinear stepwise shifts and locking of a movable OU carrier or carriers (where both carriers are movable). The shifts and locking are accompanied by a running check of the relative position of the optical axes of the OU""s. Each angular displacement of a body is preceded by a partial release from locking, and is followed by a new, stronger locking and a check of the relative position of the bodies.
When the optical channel defined by three bodies is to be isolated from the environment, the last operation, i.e. the angular shift and the locking of the movable body, is followed by a final check as to whether the mechanical links between the bodies forming the channel are sealed.
The device includes at least three bodies for each OU pair. The bodies are connected to form an optical channel open to or isolated from the environment or communicating therewith. At least two bodies having central holes define the opening of an optical channel, the axis of which is rectilinear, angular or branched from a common point. Each of the two end bodies has a bearing surface for an OU. One of the bodies, which is fixed, is a housing having an attachment surface for mounting of the device on a panel or apparatus. The two OU""s are locked to the bodies at a distance one from each other. The bodies are connected by an intermediate, flexible body and two types of screws. The screws are placed in the fixed carrier. When orienting the OU carrier, the center of angular displacement changes towards the body depending on variable deformation of the intermediate body.
A basic drawback of the device is the fact that it permits restricted spatial orientation of the carriers, only by means of angular shifts of the movable carrier(s). The device is thus limited to OU connection and adjustment for the purpose of optical beam communication and reflection in small angular ranges. Another drawback of the device are low precision due to restricted angular displacement of the movable body(s). The main drawback of the device is restricted functional possibilities because it is suitable for use with optical and optoelectronic elements only (fibers, reflectors), small angles being enough for the adjustment thereof, due to the limited spatial orientation of its carriers and the restricted possibilities for external mounting. The device is not capable of adjusting the orientation of optical elements having optical axes requiring substantial angular deflections.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the problems inherent in existing apparatuses of the type described above in the form of a relatively simple device for adjustably interconnecting optical units which is easy to adjust, and which lends itself for use with a wide variety of optical units.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a device for interconnecting optical units comprising a first carrier, a second carrier, an intermediate body between said first and second carriers, said first and second carriers and said intermediate body having central axes, at least two of said carriers and said intermediate body being adopted to support an optical unit; passages in at least two of said first and second carriers and said intermediate body defining an optical path, a hinge rotatably connecting one of said first and second carriers to the other of said first and second carriers and said intermediate body; first screw means for causing rotation of said one carrier relative to said other carrier and said intermediate body to change the shape and length of said optical path; and second screw means for causing at least one of said first and second carriers and said intermediate body to move transversely of the optical path to change the alignment of said central axes and the shape of the optical path.
The three elements listed above, i.e., the two carriers and the intermediate body are rigid, and are actually connected by a hinge. One carrier or the intermediate body is slidable with respect to the other carrier for movement transversely thereof. The contact surfaces of the hinge are either part of a sphere and a right circular cylinder, part of a cylinder and a parallelepiped or a cube, or part of a concave ellipse and an elliptical cylinder. The spacial relationship between the carriers and the intermediate body is adjusted by means of a plurality of screws arranged in pairs. Orientation of the three elements is effected by stepwise movement of the elements relative to each other. Because of the reaction forces between the screws and the elements, the screws also serve to lock the elements in one position. Some of the coupling and adjustment screws can be replaced by springs. The screws or springs are arranged in groups according to their function, i.e. for effecting rectilinear or angular adjustment of one or more of the elements of the device. The axes of the first screws intersect and are perpendicular to the axes of the second screws when the elements are centered and aligned.